The highway=living_streettag is used to tag living streets or other implementations of shared space. These type of roads have lower speed limits, and special traffic and parking rules compared to streets tagged using residential).
A general feature of this type of road is, that the legislation either grants pedestrians the right of way over or at equal rights to other road users. The implicit speed limits set in legislation vary from "walking speed" up to 20 km/h, in some countries, the speed limit is given explicitly on the sign.

Terms for these street vary considerably around the world and include Home Zone (UK), Erf/Woonerf (Netherlands/Flanders), Verkehrs­beruhigter Bereich (Germany), Begegnungszone (Switzerland), Zone de rencontre (France). See the table below for details on the names and the legislations.

Contents

How to map

Create a simple way and tag it with highway=living_street and with name=*. If there is no explicit speed limit given on the living street sign, you do not need to add an explicit maxspeed=* tag, because the speed limit is implicit according to the legislation of the country.

Rendering

Like a residential street, but filled with light grey.

Mapnik

National specialities

Give way to pedestrians and bicyclists; no transit traffic except for bicycles; exceptions e.g. for fire brigade or waste disposal; parking only in marked spaces; if exiting the "Wohnstraße" you have to give way (yield sign not present); it is always legal to cycle against the oneway direction

Drivers must give way to pedestrians. Pedestrians can use the entire road. Pedestrians should not unreasonably hinder motor traffic. Parking allowed only on marked places. If exiting the "Zhilishtna zona" you have to give way.

Give way to pedestrians. Parking only allowed in marked spaces, except for bicycles. Pedestrians should not unreasonably hinder motor traffic.

Ireland

N/A

N/A

No special legal category corresponding to Living Streets exists in Ireland. Tag as residential with maxspeed of either 50 or 30 as indicated by signs

Italy

Zona residenziale

N/A

Living streets do not exist in Italy. The sign is defined as "Zona residenziale", but no special rules corresponding to Living Streets exists. Tag as residential with maxspeed of either 50 or 30 as indicated by signs.

No special legal category corresponding to Living Streets exists in Japan. Tag as residential with maxspeed as indicated by signs (usually 30 or 20)

Latvia

Dzīvojamā zona

20

Give way to pedestrians and bicycles, who may move freely, but not unnecessarily hinder traffic. Parking only allowed in marked places, or, if none present, in places that don't hinder traffic. No trucks >5 t or buses >6 m. Upon exiting the zone, give way to everyone.

Pedestrians (including playing children, even without parental supervision) can use entire street and have absolute precedence over vehicles. Parking is only allowed in marked places. Speed calming devices don't have to be marked using road signs. Also give way when leaving the zone[5]

Identified by traffic sign . Though, there are misdecided living streets and streets which should be living streets but lacking that status. Give way to pedestrians. Parking only allowed in marked spaces, except for bicycles. Pedestrians should not unreasonably hinder motor traffic. Cars should yield while exiting.

Remarks

Germany

The colloquial word Spielstraße is commonly used for the legal term Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich. But in administrative regulations (VwV-StVO) the legal word Spielstraße is used for a rare combination of an exclusion of all vehicles combined with an additional sign for playing children.

No numeric speed value is set by law for Schrittgeschwindigkeit (walking pace speed). The value of around 7 km/h resulted from several judgements, most within the range of 7 to 12 km/h. A Tempo 30-Zone is not a living street.

Support

Routing and navigation software might try to avoid such areas when navigating cars.